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Once in a while the news are filled about a group of extremist Muslims who slaughter people and commit the most unthinkable crimes under the name of Islam. ISIS is a recent example.

If you ask such people that why they are committing such obvious wrong deeds and still consider it the command of the God, they would answer that they are trusting a Muslim scholar and that they receive the commands of the God through him. Based on this trust they consider the scholar’s commands equivalent to the God’s commands and blindly follow the scholar’s instructions to make the God happy.

But does not this method sound too similar to shirk, the exact opposite of Islam’s primary message, which is not following anybody except the God? How did this happen? How did that origin with the most clear message came to this obvious contradictory point?

In the “Belief vs. Trust” article, we show that similarly to all modern religions, in the current understanding of Islam also believing in God is interpreted as trusting a religious package preached by the local religious scholars.

After analyzing the roots of such interpretation in all religions, the article shows that key element that legitimizes the incorporation of trusting scholars into islamic practice is considering Hadith as a pillar of Islam.

The current Islam which is mixed with Hadith has become so complicated that leaves an ordinary Muslim with no solution but seeking the advice of some Hadith experts (or scholars) about “what Islam says”. This blind obedience creates potential for extremism: if the religious scholar is extremist, the blind followers also apply the extremism in the name of religion.

Then in the “Islam without Hadith” article, we list the pros and cons of existence of Hadith in the current Islamic practice, and show that by eliminating Hadith not only we do not lose any of the core Islamic values but also we are given the chance to rediscover the Simple Islam, the religion which guides us to nothing but reasonable, beautiful deeds. In Simple Islam, which is free from the complexities of Hadith, there is no space for religious scholars to instruct their blind followers to such unbelievable crimes.

In the “Scope” article, we then revisit some of the controversial topics in Quran, such as slavery and women rights, and observe a Quran very different from what the scholars have been preaching for years.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Q1: Those are bad scholars. But I am obeying good scholars!
A: Quran warns about blind obedience. Read Section D of Trust article.
Q2: Some extremists claim obeying no scholar and just following Quran!
A: They adopted a particular perverted interpretation of Quran stemmed from Hadith and backed by past scholars. They are essentially obeying those scholar’s viewpoint.
Q3: I read Quran myself. It says “kill the infidels”!
A: Taken out of context! Such verses are about a particular war with the criminals of Mecca. There were refereed to as “Kafir”, which means ungrateful, as they were ungrateful for the gift of the messenger. Quran uses the word “Kafir” sometimes even for Muslims. Mainstream translations offered by scholars however translate “Kafir” as “infidel” causing this confusion.
Q4: Extremists are using perverted Hadiths. There is a huge science of telling which Hadith is reliable. I am obeying good scholars who know this science well!
A: Extremists say the same about you. The bottom line is that both of you blindly obey, and both of you think that your scholar is the right one. Read trust article about blind obedience.
Q5: Why should I trust your article? are you a scholar?
A: Do not trust people. Read their arguments and decide by yourself
Q6: Without Hadith how could we know the details of rituals?
A: Section 4 of the article Islam without Hadith
Q7: Does not Quran itself tell us to follow Hadith?
A: No. Read here.
Q8: Ignoring Hadith is ignoring Muhammad (s.a.a.w.)?
A: No. Read Hadith-less Muhammad.
Q9: Can we understand Quran without Hadith?
A: Yes. Read Quran is understandable without Hadith
Q10: Did not Quran force conversion?
A: No. Islam in Quran means meeting the God with a heart filled with peace. What Muslims did along the history has nothing to do with what Quran describes.

I placed this second video so that I wouldn’t be plagiarizing George Carlin’s thoughts.
George argues that Rights are not “God-given”, they’re privileges since your government can still take it away whenever possible, directly and indirectly.
and keep in mind, that the first video didn’t show Human Rights violations in Palestine via israeli soldiers.

Hammer of the Witches (latin: Malleus Maleficarum; German: Der Hexenhammer) is a guide for witch hunter written in 1484AD by two Dominican priests; Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger, who were ordered by Pope Innocent the 13th to publish the book in order to locate and cease witchcraft.

Dualism Initiated The Hammer:

In the 11th and 12th century, Dualism sects spread out in Europe, while the Roman Catholic Church ordered the quick eradication for the heretics. Dualism is the believe that there are two gods constantly at war against each other, the good god of the New Testament defined by Jesus Christ, and the bad god in the Old Testament defined by satan.
The Catholic Church placed its full power and most of its wealth over Europe to abolish Dualism sects, reaching 1165AD, where Pope Innocent 3rd declared the Roman Catholic Church a state so that heresy would be considered as treason and thus heretics are punished by death.
For about two centuries, Dualism sects have been almost totally eradicated by 1320AD. The Church looked to abolish other threats, thus Pope Paul 22nd declared the arrest, torture, and execution of those who made “pacts with hell”, in other words, witches. The declaration has targeted rich wealthy women and educated ones as well.

People believed that rich and educated women were making pacts with the Devil for certain powers, known as witchcraft

The Pope’s Bully:

In 1484AD, there was a belief that witches and devil worshipers gathered in the German Hertz Mountains’ deserted fields to practice satanic rituals. Pope Innocent 13th issued a declaration called: Summis Desiderantes, which put in charge two Dominican monks, Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger, to write a manual that explains how to locate, identify, persecute, and execute witches.

“The first part treating of the three necessary concomitants of witchcraft, which are the devil, a witch and the permission of almighty God.” – Malleus Maleficarum

The Malleus maleficarum consists of three parts. The first consisted of 18 questions that should be considered in the determination of whether someone was a witch or not:

1- Whether the Belief that there are such Beings as Witches is so Essential a Part of the Catholic Faith that Obstinacy to maintain the Opposite Opinion manifestly savours of Heresy.

2- If it be in Accordance with the Catholic Faith to maintain that in Order to bring about some Effect of Magic, the Devil must intimately co-operate with the Witch, or whether one without the other, that is to say, the Devil without the Witch, or conversely, could produce such an Effect.

3- Whether Children can be Generated by Incubi and Succubi.

4- By which Devils are the Operations of Incubus and Succubus Practised?

5- What is the Source of the Increase of Works of Witchcraft? Whence comes it that the Practice of Witchcraft hath so notably increased?

6- Concerning Witches who copulate with Devils. Why is it that Women are chiefly addicted to Evil superstitions?

7- Whether Witches can Sway the Minds of Men to Love or Hatred.

8- Whether Witches can Hebetate the Powers of Generation or Obstruct the Venereal Act.

9- Whether Witches may work some Prestidigatory Illusion so that the Male Organ appears to be entirely removed and separate from the Body.

10- Whether Witches can by some Glamour Change Men into Beasts.

11- That Witches who are Midwives in Various Ways Kill the Child Conceived in the Womb, and Procure an Abortion; or if they do not this Offer New-born Children to Devils.

12- Whether the Permission of Almighty God is an Accompaniment of Witchcraft.

13- Herein is set forth the Question, concerning the Two Divine Permissions which God justly allows, namely, that the Devil, the Author or all Evil, should Sin, and that our First Parents should Fall, from which Origins the Works of Witches are justly suffered to take place.

14- The Enormity of Witches is Considered, and it is shown that the Whole Matter should be rightly Set Forth and Declared.

15- It is Shown that, on Account of the Sins of Witches, the Innocent are often Bewitched, yea, Sometimes even for their Own Sins.

16- The Foregoing Truths are Set out in Particular, this by a Comparison of the Works of Witches with Other Baleful Superstitions.

17- A Comparison of their Crimes under Fourteen Heads, with the Sins of the Devils of all and every Kind.

18- Here follows the Method of Preaching against and Controverting Five Arguments of Laymen and Lewd Folk, which seem to be Variously Approved, that God does not Allow so Great Power to the Devil and Witches as is involved in the Performance of such Mighty Works of Witchcraft.

Malleus Maleficarum Book Cover

Malleus Maleficarum, Part II

Part II of the Malleus Maleficarum consisted of “Treating on the methods by which the works of witchcraft are wrought and directed and how they may be successfully annulled and dissolved.”

The first question was:Of those against whom the Power of Witches availeth not at all.

The solutions were discussed at length in the following chapters:

1- Of the several Methods by which Devils through Witches Entice and Allure the Innocent to the Increase of that Horrid Craft and Company.

2- Of the Way whereby a Formal Pact with Evil is made.

3- How they are Transported from Place to Place.

4- Here follows the Way whereby Witches copulate with those Devils known as Incubi.

5- Witches commonly perform their Spells through the Sacraments of the Church. And how they Impair the Powers of Generation, and how they may Cause other Ills to happen to God’s Creatures of all kinds. But herein we except the Question of the Influence of the Stars.

6- How Witches Impede and Prevent the Power of Procreation.

7- How, as it were, they Deprive Man of his Virile Member.

8- Of the Manner whereby they Change Men into the Shapes of Beasts.

9- How Devils may enter the Human Body and the Head without doing any Hurt, when they cause such Metamorphosis by Means of Prestidigitation.

10- Of the Method by which Devils through the Operations of Witches sometimes actually possess men.

11- Of the Method by which they can Inflict Every Sort of Infirmity, generally Ills of the Graver Kind.

12- Of the Way how in Particular they Afflict Men with Other Like Infirmities.

13- How Witch Midwives commit most Horrid Crimes when they either Kill Children or Offer them to Devils in most Accursed Wise.

14- Here followeth how Witches Injure Cattle in Various Ways.

15- How they Raise and Stir up Hailstorms and Tempests, and Cause Lightning to Blast both Men and Beasts.

16- Of Three Ways in which Men and Women may be Discovered to be Addicted to Witchcraft: Divided into Three Heads: and First of the Witchcraft of Archers.

Question number two: The Methods of Destroying and Curing Witchcraft

Introduction, wherein is Set Forth the Difficulty of this Question.

The following chapters attempt to answer question number two:

1- The Remedies prescribed by the Holy Church against Incubus and Succubus Devils.

2- Remedies prescribed for Those who are Bewitched by the Limitation of the Generative Power.

3- Remedies prescribed for those who are Bewitched by being Inflamed with Inordinate Love or Extraordinary Hatred.

4- Remedies prescribed for those who by Prestidigitative Art have lost their Virile Members or have seemingly been Transformed into the Shapes of Beasts.

5- Prescribed Remedies for those who are Obsessed owing to some Spell.

6- Prescribed Remedies; to wit, the Lawful Exorcisms of the Church, for all Sorts of Infirmities and Ills due to Witchcraft; and the Method of Exorcising those who are Bewitched.

7- Remedies prescribed against Hailstorms, and for animals that are Bewitched.

8- Certain Remedies prescribed against those Dark and Horrid Harms with which Devils may Afflict Men.

Malleus Maleficarum Bookcover

Malleus Malificarum Part III

The third part of the malleus Malificarum was “Relating to the judicial proceedings in both the eddlesiastical and civil courts against witches and indeed all heretics.”

It included an introduction on “Who are the Fit and Proper Judges in the Trial of Witches?” followed by the following chapters:

1- The Method of Initiating a Process

2- Of the Number of Witnesses

3- Of the Solemn Adjuration and Re-examination of Witnesses

4- Of the Quality and Condition of Witnesses

5- Whether Mortal Enemies may be Admitted as Witnesses

6- How the Trial is to be Proceeded with and Continued. And how the Witnesses are to be Examined in the Presence of Four Other Persons, and how the Accused is to be Questioned in Two Ways

7- In Which Various Doubts are Set Forth with Regard to the Foregoing Questions and Negative Answers. Whether the Accused is to be Imprisoned, and when she is to be considered Manifestly Taken in the Foul Heresy of Witchcraft. This is the Second Action

8- Which Follows from the Preceding Question, Whether the Witch is to be Imprisoned, and of the Method of Taking her. This is the Third Action of the Judge

9- What is to be done after the Arrest, and whether the Names of the Witnesses should be made Known to the Accused. This is the Fourth Action

10- What Kind of Defence may be Allowed, and of the Appointment of an Advocate. This is the Fifth Action

11- What Course the Advocate should Adopt when the Names of the Witnesses are not Revealed to him. The Sixth Action

12- Of the Same Matter, Declaring more Particularly how the Question of Personal Enmity is to be Investigated. The Seventh Action

13- Of the Points to be Observed by the Judge before the Formal Examination in the Place of Detention and Torture. This is the Eighth Action

14- Of the Method of Sentencing the Accused to be Questioned: and How she must be Questioned on the First Day; and Whether she may be Promised her Life. The Ninth Action

15- Of the Continuing of the Torture, and of the Devices and Signs by which the Judge can Recognize a Witch; and how he ought to Protect himself from their Spells. Also how they are to be Shaved in Parts where they use to Conceal the Devil’s Masks and Tokens; together with the due Setting Forth of Various Means of Overcoming the Obstinacy in Keeping Silence and Refusal to Confess. And it is the Tenth Action

16- Of the fit Time and of the Method of the Second Examination. And it is the Eleventh Action, concerning the Final Precautions to be Observed by the Judge

17- Of Common Purgation, and especially of the Trial of Red-hot Iron, to which Witches Appeal

18- Of the Manner of Pronouncing a Sentence which is Final and Definitive

19- Of the Various Degrees of Overt Suspicion which render the Accused liable to be Sentenced

20- Of the Firth Method of Pronouncing Sentence

21- Of the Second Method of Pronouncing Sentence, when the Accused is no more than Defamed

22- Of the Third Kind of Sentence, to be Pronounced on one who is Defamed, and who is to be put to the Question

23- The Fourth Method of Sentencing, in the Case of one Accused upon a Light Suspicion

24- The Fifth Manner of Sentence, in the Case of one under Strong Suspicion

25- The Sixth Kind of Sentence, in the Case of one who is Gravely Suspect

26- The Method of passing Sentence upon one who is both Suspect and Defamed

27- The Method of passing Sentence upon one who hath Confessed to Heresy, but is still not Penitent

28- The Method of passing Sentence upon one who hath Confessed to Heresy but is Relapsed, Albeit now Penitent

29- The Method of passing Sentence upon one who hath Confessed to Heresy but is Impenitent, although not Relapsed

30- Of One who has Confessed to Heresy, is Relapsed, and is also Impenitent

31- Of One Taken and Convicted, but Denying Everything

32- Of One who is Convicted but who hath Fled or who Contumaciously Absents himself

33- Of the Method of passing Sentence upon one who has been Accused by another Witch, who has been or is to be Burned at the Stake

34- Of the Method of passing Sentence upon a Witch who Annuls Spells wrought by Witchcraft; and of Witch Midwives and Archer-Wizards

35- Finally, of the Method of passing Sentence upon Witches who Enter or Cause to be Entered an Appeal, whether such be Frivolous or Legitimate and Just

The death toll was estimated between 600000 and an excess of 9 million, since records were not kept in most cases. But the 250 years that followed the publishing of the book, via Gutenberg press, made it almost impossible to keep track of the death tolls as a result of the numerous printings of Malleus Maleficarum.

Witches were tortured, killed, and burnt alive on the stick as punishment for making a “pact with hell” which caused to the death of tens of thousands of women

1.618 : Number of Golden Ratio, mystery of Kaaba, Miracle of Islam and Qur’an.
The number is 1.618, and is found by solving the equation: g = 1/(1+g).
The golden ratio, also known as the divine proportion, golden mean, or golden section, is a number often encountered when taking the ratios of distances in geometric figures and biological systems, is an instrument of measurement and growth efficiency.

Phi Constant- 1.618, superior design number of mathematics. The Creator has always used the very same number in numerous events in the universe; in our heart pulses, the aspect ratio of DNA spiral, in the special design of the universe called dodecehadron, in the leaf array rules of plants called phylotaxy, in the snow flake crystals, in the spiral structure of numerous galaxies. The Creator used the same number; the number of golden ratio which is 1.618

It is determined that this ratio has been used for the design of various reputable architectural structures, even including Pyramids in Egypt. Famous astronomer Kepler defined this number as a great treasury. Numerous famous painters, engineers and architects, like Leonardo Da Vinci, have been using this ratio in their works of art for hundreds of years.

There is one unique verse in Qur’an that includes Mecca word and an expression that mentions clear evidences within the city which will grant faith to humanity. The relation between the City of Mecca and the Golden Ratio is clearly engraved in Ali Imran Surah’s (section of Koran) 96th verse. The total number of all letters of this verse is 47. Calculating the golden ratio of total letters, we find out that the word of Mecca is implied; 47 / 1,618 = 29.0. There are 29 letters from the beginning of the verse till the word, Mecca just as in the world map. If only one single word or letter was missing, this ratio could never been constituted. Without pushing the limits, we have conducted the very same process that we conducted on world map and witnessed the glorious coherence of number of letters that reveals the relation of Mecca and Golden Ratio.

All these evidences show that; The Creator of the World and mathematics is the same One and Single God, the indefinable and great force that has created Kaaba, holy region and Qur’an. He reminds whole humanity that he has granted signs to all humanity on the basis of his foreknowledge about the future and the common languages of humans.

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There was pin-drop silence in the lecture theater.)

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Professor: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?

Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light. But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it is, well you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?

Professor: So what is the point you are making, young man ?

Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Professor: Flawed ? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good GOD and a bad GOD. You are viewing the concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.

Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Professor: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument was going.)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor. Are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class was in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?

(The class broke out into laughter. )

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Professor: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.

Student : That is it sir … Exactly ! The link between man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that keeps things alive and moving.

P.S.
Feel free to spread the word
By the way, that student was EINSTEIN.

Like this:

According to Wikipedia: “A taboo is a strong social prohibition (or ban) relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and forbidden based on moral judgment and religious beliefs. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society. The term comes from the Tongan word tabu, meaning set apart or forbidden”

"The Tears We Shed on Sins are More Valuable Than the World's Jewels" St. John

In a simpler sense, it’s something totally wrong to be talked about or done at the first place. As we reach a even more “modern” global civilization, taboo subjects are gradually decreasing in number due to the “openness-revolution” the human race is lately witnessing.

In common sense, modernity refers to reconstruction of the recent past, having a new start, innovate, and re-interpret origins. Thus, as Marshall McLuhan places it, a “global village” is a place where modernity is the way of life and taboo subjects being taboo is a taboo by itself.

Why do people strive so hard to break taboos? egoism? satisfaction? some hidden revolution? or are taboos just bluffs so we won’t think of some certain conspiracy revolving around it?
Actually, taboos are placed taboos for the reasons placed at first: moral judgments and religious beliefs. both terms are interconnected. As Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said before his death:”and I came for the completion in teaching of morals and ethics”
Ethics are guidelines for life, regardless of religious belief, they’re supreme values.

This seems too out of the ordinary, I’ll be frank… Consider yourself, 40 years old, waking up at the middle of the night and walking to the kitchen to get a glass of water and suddenly finding your 13 years old son watching a pornographic movie for Audrey Bitoni, Shyla Styles, or any other porn “star”, or hearing your daughter cursing her God to a person of another religion just because that someone has a bad hair day or bumped into her because of a numb foot.

Most people, especially a large number of youth, would want to break taboo subject so they would be “free”. The first amendment of freedom is responsibility. Imagine an entire society of totally free people;
Scene I: Guys walks inside a café and finds another guy sitting in his usual place, a gun is exposed and BOOM… simply because he’s free
Scene II: Person breaking and entering his neighbor’s house and taking the new plasma TV set so he could watch the game at night.
Scene III: Guy catching a girl on the side of road and rapping her to death so he would fill his need for a sexual relationship… because he’s free

Let’s face it, we’re not free, never will we be… as one friend once told me:” We’re living in our own world and that world is bound by others worlds” so is freedom, its jurisdictions are others.

Lately, the Lebanese show called “Red in Bold” has been exposing taboo subjects such as homosexuality and religion related issues. The show handled a great deal of criticism from religious outposts, especially the Christian religious leadership in Lebanon, the Patriarch.
And not long before, there was a small discussion panel in Hamra, Beirut concerning censorship and self-censorship. What was most intriguing about the panel is the 3rd debater who exposed her former problem with the religious and government officials. The lady was known in screening taboo movie, prohibited worldwide, thus received harsh critique from both sides, her complain was:” why are they so narrow-minded? why won’t they let the people be? They always run after saying taboo subjects are not allowed to be talked about, but I say I will talk about it, I see no sense in that!”
Well, from an honest critique, after what I’ve heard, the whole story was a load of senseless pleads. The lady director has shown many prohibited movies, that’s a fact. She showed movies related to pornography, religion, and anti-religion films, that’s a fact. An example for one the movies was an Italian directed one that talks about two jews being in the Roman Empire and imprisoned for the religious beliefs by “the Christians” as she said. They tortured them for 3 constant years so they would turn into Christians.

While I was at the panel, as a person of another faith, a person who only believes in God and ethics and not religion as title, I was offended by the words said and movie showed. No doubt that the Vatican banned that movie and so it was also banned by religious leaders in Iran for the reason it was talked about a taboo subject. Why so? such a movie would clearly bring out fanatic reactions in Christian societies. You don’t need a reference or evidence in such matters, go to any society on Earth, realize the religious belief, mock it, and you’ll have bullets racing through your body at 100 km/h.

Taboos are originally based to prevent fights, wars, and global conflicts. So leave the whole revolution nonsense aside, I’m not saying believe in God, but have ethics and morals to guide you. Have respect to others and you’ll get the good outcome… “What goes around comes around”, keep that in mind, you may say it never happens, but I know one thing for sure, that quote knows no specific time, but it knows how to return a favor.